She died at a party

My sister died at a party, which felt strangely apt in hindsight. She loved a good party. She sat through lots of bad parties too. If she could have chosen somewhere to die, a party would have been high up on her list. That or a beach in Spain. But death is never ever that…

The Path to Happiness

Most writers arrive fully-formed, their debut novel hailed as something special and original. That or they're just ignored and left to fend for themselves. The word ‘debut’ carries a special cache around the publishing industry. I started off performing live shows, writing my own stories, hoping to be published one day. Twilight was a huge…

The New Abnormal

I haven’t been able to update my blog in a while for a few reasons. Chiefly, my beloved dog passed away. I knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it easier, does it? I’m fine, but the world feels very strange. It feels strange anyway, with the Lockdown happening around me, but little moments…

Life For Sale by Yukio Mishima

Originally serialised in Playboy Magazine (in Japan) between May to October of 1968, Life For Sale wasn’t available to read in The UK for decades. Thankfully Penguin Classics decided to turn Yukio Mishima’s stories into a novel and, with the help of Stephen Dodd’s translation which makes the story accelerate along, this classic by is…

Coronavirus? F* *k Off!

A few weeks ago Trump was telling people that Coronavirus was a Democrat hoax. That man perpetuates blatant fraud and gets away with it because his Twitter distracts everybody, including the press. If this virus doesn't make Trump's supporters understand how wholly ineffective he is as a leader, then nothing will. I wish Britain would…

Walking back to Happiness…

Now that the news is out about Happiness Is Wasted On Me (it’s available to pre-order hint hint hint), I can’t get myself sorted for actually getting out and about, promoting it. I’ve been speaking to some venues, looking at doing live shows, or literary salons. They’re the only salons I go to! Everything is…

Ways of pre-ordering Happiness is Wasted on Me

Just incase you don't know I have a new book to plug (it's in the contract that I promote it), then here's a quick recap: My first novel for adults is now available for pre-order. You can buy it in lots of places. Waterstones I use a lot of bookshops. Waterstones is one of them.…

My New Book

Hello. I'm glad you're here. Alright, let me set the scene. It's cold outside. Really cold. From where I'm seated, middle-cushion on the couch with the window facing me, it looks like the biggest bag of icing sugar in the world has been sprinkled over my garden. My living room is warm. I'm drinking hot…

A tale of ten years

Rewind all the way back to 2010. I'm lost. I'm angry, a result of what I witnessed one dark night in 1998. That kind of violence changes a person, makes them cold and distant. Somehow, along the way, I've become a troll long before the term was invented. Ask me, however, and I'll tell you…

Adore by Smashing Pumpkins

There are certain opinions enshrined in music journalism by music journalists. For the most part their thoughts remain unchallenged, unchanged. These edicts have been chipped into the rock of rock music itself. You know what I’m talking about, of course. Nevermind is the best Nirvana album. Blur won the battle, Oasis won the war. Sgt…